Despina Mirou
We know Despina from her work in film "Crimes of the furute",2022 by DAVID CRONENBERG,in film "Life in a Day" 2020 (2021) by RIDLEY SCOTT, "On My Block "(2019) NETFLIX, "Show Me a Hero" (2015) HBO, "Laugh Factory "(2017).The exotic Greek-American brunette beauty Despina Andromeda Mirou, is an established actress, writer,Stand-Up comedian & Astronomer.She is member of the "THE QUINCY JONES FOUNDATION".Mr.QUINCY JONES mission is that they seek to foster authenticity at all levels of the creative process, without sacrificing integrity.Also,Despina is member of DAVID LYNCH Foundation,bringing a proven tool for healing and empowerment, the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, to those who need it most in Los Angeles.
Despina began her dynamic career as a child actor,and she received two writing awards as a writer when she was 13 years old.She is known for her performances across genres. The famous Greek actress the last 6 years moved to USA, she became American citizen, and she received many Awards from USA and Europe.
Despina started her career while she was a child doing an improve stand up, she was discovered by the famous comic creator from the TV series "Akros Oikogeneiakon" for Ant1 TV. The TV sitcom became a huge success, and Despina became a teen idol while playing the nerdy and goofy "Aristea". The following years she participated in many T.V series, such as the Greek adaptation of the comedy "The Nanny ",the drama series "Archipelagos" she performed the sultry character of Tanzout and overnight she became a"sex symbol ",and many more series. In cinema after her first film with Peter Bogdanovich "The cats meow', she played in many Greek films too. In Greek theater Despina had a classic theater repertoire including "Kon/nos Palaiologos" by Nikos Kazantzakis,"The Maids" by Jean Genet,"The Bear-The Proposal " by Anton Chekhov, where Despina played the role of Natalya Stepanovna,"The Odd Couple" by Neil Simon, and "Uncle Vanya" by Anton Chekhov, where she played Sonya.
Despina started her international career when she was a child,with Peter Bogdanovich"s film "The cats meow" when he cast her for a small part. It was her first work in cinema. In 2013 she received an award from the U.S Congress' "Excellence in Innovations " for her speech about "The Historically Importance of Women in Ancient Times and Modern Women of Our Times " at the White House in Washington D.C. After she decided finally to leave her ongoing career in Europe and moved to the US in 2015. She participated in a a seminar with Al Pacino and took acting classes with John Strasberg in New York. In 2015 in New York she did stand-up at the N. Y. Comedy club, where she impersonated Lucille Ball and the show aired on HBO. She played the character of Cassandra in the play Oresteia" by Aeschylus at the "Kirk Theater" Off Broadway, directed by L. Loizidis. Same time in 2015 she took part in the HBO TV series 'Show me a Hero" directed by Paul Haggis. Because of her international background and her ability to play drama and comedy, Despina caught the attention of casting directors and she was cast ed in many films and channels. In 2016 she did a video "Californication" with Farah Mokrani for MTV. In 2016 she played the character of Georgia alive in "Vox Influx" a TV drama film by Adrian Fulle. In 2015 she played in the drama film "Vamp Bikers Dos" the character of Queen Fellini, directed by Eric Spade Rivas.End of 2017 Despina finished a TV family drama movie for Lifetime channel "A Mother's Sacrifice". In 2017 she played the nurse Amber in the comedy film "Nurses do it better" directed by Stephan Pacheco. In 2017 she finished another drama action film "The American connection" starring Faye Dunaway, Michael Madsen, Darryl Hannah. The film was directed by Jeff Espanol and Despina played a Nun-Spy. Recently in 2019 she finished the comedy film 'Tango Shalom" written by Joseph Bologna and directed by Gabriel Bologna. The cast includes Renee Taylor, Joseph Bologna, Laine Kazan, and produced by Joel Zwick. Despina played Susan Schulman a Hasidic Jewish woman. In 2018 she played in the comedy film "The Light Touch" directed by Robert Mc Lean. In this film. Despina plays the character of the crazy policewoman Gina, similar to a female Clouseau in "The Pink Panther". In 2019 she plays the character of Tangola in the drama film "Japanese Borscht" ,directed by Eric Rivas. She will star shooting for a western film "Damn'er" in Arizona,plays the leader female character. In 2019 she plays on Netflix TV series 'On My Block" .
In summer of 2020 Despina has completed two British films, where she played the most iconic Hollywood actress' Elizabeth Taylor, and Sophia Loren. She took the part of Elizabeth Taylor, for the film "Affairs in Capri" when she did a stand-up comedy show in London in December 2020, and the director discovered her there, and asked her to do the Liz Taylor impersonation. She was already doing an impersonation of Liz in comedy clubs in LA, where she changed her voice and her facial expressions which is what attracted the director.This project is a biography film about Liz and her love affair with Richard Burton. The Welsh actor Ed Ward plays the character of Richard Burton. The film was produced by Excalibur Productions, and Dark Star Productions, from London.
In October 2020 Despina was called to play the iconic actress Sophia Loren, from London's Pinewood Studio.The director for the Sophia Loren film was Paul Wiffen, and the script writer Gabriel Murray. The title of the film is "So Long Marianne" which derives from a Leonard Cohen song. The British actor Joe Vetch plays the character of Leonard Cohen. They shot the film on the island of Hydra, and the film takes place in the 60s when Sophia Loren made the film "The Boy and the Dolphin" and her friendship with Leonard Cohen. Despina even sang the famous song that Sophia performed "What is this that They called Love". Producers are Robbie Moffat of the Pinewoods Studios in London, Olympic Films,& the Scottish Palm Tree Entertainment.
In 2020 Despina Mirou honored from UNESCO ,as the "Theatrical Director " in 35 countries around the wold.
In 2021 she play in Ridley Scott and Kevin MacDonald film "Life in a day" the character of Elton John and herself. Also,she co-directed in the same film. That is her fist directing debut.
Since Despina moved to Los Angeles she established a Stand-up career at various Comedy clubs in LA and NY, like The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, New York Comedy club,The Flappers,The Ice house, the Comedy Union,The Gotham,Stand Up New York,Greenwich Village,and many more where she performs as a regular comedian. Her talent in impersonating and transforming herself to different personalities has made her stand out in the comedy world ,like Lucille Ball at the New York Comedy club, with her monologue "Lucy at Halloween". Also, she impersonated Joan Crawford at The Laugh Factory with her monologue "Kisses From Joan", she impersonated Ozzy Osbourne in her monologue "Paranoid" in New York Comedy club,Judge Judy in her "I eat Liars for Breakfast", and many more. Her faces impersonations include :Lucile Ball,Betty Davis,Joan Crawford,Sofia Vergara,Ozzy Osbourne,Judge Judy,Eminem,Penelope Cruz,Ariana Huffington, Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, Jessica Rabbit, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga ,David Bowie,Freddy Mercury and many more.
From her teenage years she won two awards for writing from the New Literary Association,1st Nobel Prize and second for poetry award.One of her most honorable awards is the one she received in 2013 for "Excellence in Innovation" at the White House. In 2018 she received the "Audience Favorite Stand Up Comedy Actress Award" in Los Angeles, and in 2019 the "Best Stand-Up Comedy Actress Award "in Hollywood,in 2018 an award "Original Screenplay Award" for the "Unwritten". Also, in 2019 she received an award from NASA-IASC "Astronomical Honoring recognition assembly "for observations/analysis of near Earth objects & Main Belt Asteroids ,2019. She would soon revisit Washington, DC again in 2019 being rewarded "The Women Shaping the World Award", along with Kathleen Kennedy (Robert Kennedy's daughter).In 2020 she received a humanitarian award from "California Legislature Assembly -Certificate Of Recognition" for she gave percentage of her Stand Up Comedy shows to the Homeless people of Los Angeles.Same year she won 'Woman of the Year 2020" in L.A. She was nominated for best actress in Maverick film festival 2020 with the comedy film"The Light touch".
During the lockdown in 2020 ,she took part in many American films that became winners in certain festivals like:"Audience Choice Award"for "Japanese Borscht",in New York Film Festival, the Sweden film Festival for the project "The Light Touch" which won "Best Comedy Film 2020" .With same film 'Best Comedy Film" award in Malta,Italy 2020.The film "Light Touch' won "Best Future Comedy Film" in Rome Film Festival 2021. Also, the "Critics Choice Award",for the film "Tango Shalom",winner in Jaipur film festival,January 2021, India. Same film won "Best comedy film" in Montreal film festival,2021.Her new future film "Life in a Day", by Ridley Scott 7 Kevin MacDonald, had a world premiere in the "Sundance film festival" 2021.
Since 2016 she has studied in UC "Film comedy director" working up to Charlie Chaplin, Woody Allen films, & she received her diploma in Astronomy "Planetary Astronomy with Laboratories". In 2021 she continue her studies in "AI "artificial intelligence in EETN,Eu and "Astronomy:SETI-Live in Mars-Live in Universe ",in U.S.C California.
Despina is a Surveyor Member of "National Space Society " USA.